Olympus E-410

Reviewed May 2007

Introduction

The Olympus E-410 is likely the most compact digital SLR currently on the market. And, although its design is clearly inspired from classic film amateur-level SLRs and quite sober, it includes all the latest technical developments.

The arrangement of the controls on top of the camera is as classic as its design. The front top of the grip supports the shutter release, flanked by a small button, , which has three functions:

• With the camera set to P, A, S and the Scene modes that have a Mode Dial position, pressing it and turning the Control Dial (see further) makes it possible to adjust the exposure compensation over a range of ± 5 EV in 1/3 EV increments.
• With the E-410 set to the Manual mode, the button serves to toggle between aperture and shutter speed, making it possible to set both as needed.
• Set to the Playback mode, the button serves to change the orientation of and image in 90° increments.

The Control Dial, positioned close to the back of the camera so it can be turned with the thumb, serves to modify camera settings or navigate the menus. Moreover, when the camera is set to the Playback mode, the dial serves to review thumbnails of images in an index view (placing 4, 9, 16 or 25 images per screen, or presenting them as a calendar view), or to zoom into an image up to 14X.

The Mode Dial is on the left and on top of the Power Switch. A small blue LED, positioned between the Mode Dial and the Control Dial and labelled SSWF(Supersonic Wave Filter) blinks when the camera is powered on, indicating that the dust reduction system is operating, an activity that can be interrupted by touching the shutter release.

The Mode Dial has 11 positions, each corresponding to a capture mode. These modes are divided into 2 groups by the Auto mode:

This mode allows the E-410 to decide most camera settings. However, all parameters with the exception of the aperture and shutter speed can be modified by the user if desired.

The Advanced Modes start above the Auto position:

	Program also allows the camera to set both the aperture and the shutter speed while leaving complete control over all other variables to the user. The Control Dial can be used to alter the aperture and shutter speed combination selected by the camera (Program Shift) so that preference can be given to the shutter speed, or the depth of field.
	Aperture Priority provides control over the aperture and therefore over the depth of field while the camera adjusts the shutter speed. The aperture range depends on the lens in use.
	Shutter Priority provides control over the shutter speed while the camera adjusts the aperture. A shutter speed range of 1/4000 second to 60 seconds is available.
	Manual allows setting both the shutter speed using the Control Dial, and while pressing the button, the aperture. In addition, the Manual mode offers a Bulb mode that has a maximum exposure time of 8 minutes, but which requires the use of the optional remote control (RM-UC1).

Five Scene modes are positioned below the Auto mode, in addition to those accessible via the SCENE position. These Scene modes offer the user some level of automatic settings, while still allowing user control over sensitivity, exposure compensation, flash mode, etc.:

	Portrait mode uses a large aperture to obtain a well-focused subject and an out-of-focus background. By default, sensitivity and white balance are set to Auto, but can be modified, and sharpness is softened slightly.
	Landscape is intended to capture scenery and slightly accentuates blues, greens, sharpness and contrast. The mode's default settings set the sensitivity to Auto, the white balance to Sun, and the sharpness and contrast are accentuated.
	Macro allows the focus to be manually fine-tuned while still letting the auto focus operate. Sensitivity and white balance are both set to Auto by default, but can be user-adjusted.
	Sport gives priority to the shutter speed so as to freeze action. By default, the camera selects the sequential shooting mode and sets the auto focus to continuous, while setting the sensitivity and white balance to Auto.
	Night Scene + Portrait allows the camera to capture exposures that are up to 1 second long. The default setting for the mode uses Auto ISO, Sun white balance, and softens both sharpness and contrasts. The flash is set to Slow Synch.

Finally, the SCENE position is an access point to 20 additional scene modes, each illustrated by a typical photo which appears full screen, and is then reduced to allow a short description of the mode to be shown:

• Portrait
• Landscape
• Landscape + Portrait
• Night Scene
• Night + Portrait
• Children

• Sport
• High Key
• Low Key
• DIS Mode*
• Macro
• Nature Macro
• Candle

• Sunset
• Fireworks
• Documents
• Panorama**
• Beach & Snow
• Under Water Wide***
• Under Water Macro***

* DIS mode (Digital Image Stabilization) forces a faster shutter speed by increasing ISO sensitivity up to 1600 ISO so as to prevent camera shake.
** Panorama mode is only available when using an Olympus brand xD card.
*** Under Water modes require the use of the optional waterproof housing.

Two small chromed buttons are placed on the left side of the prism.

The one closest to the front [] serves to open the flash. With the camera set to Auto or SCENE the flash opens automatically, a behaviour that can be controlled in the Setup menu (see the Interface and Software section of the review).

It is worth noting that the pop-up flash also serves as an AF assist lamp. It must be opened and set to Forced Off when the AF assist function is needed, but the flash itself is not.

The other, nearer the back, , offers the following functions:

• Single Frame shooting: captures one image every time the shutter release is pressed.
• Sequential shooting: captures up to 7 frames at 3 frames per second (SHQ, HQ and SQ modes only). Focus and exposure are locked at the first frame.
• Self-Timer shooting: offers a delay of 2 or 12 seconds.
• Remote Control shooting (using the optional RM-UC1 remote): provides a choice of 0 second delay (the shutter is released when the remote control is pressed), or 2 seconds (the shutter is released 2 seconds after the remote control has been pressed).

With the camera in Playback mode, the button controls two other functions as indicated by :

• First it serves to copy an image from one memory card to another, as the E-410 accepts both xD and CompactFlash type I and II.
• And, when the E-410 is directly connected to a PictBridge compliant printer through USB, the button serves to start printing photos.

In addition to the pop-up flash, the prism housing of the E-410 is topped by flash hotshoe that is dedicated to Olympus flash units FL-50, FL-36, FL-20, RF-11 and TF-22.

The TTL viewfinder of the E-410 offers an eye point of 14 mm and a sharp, clear image. The viewfinder covers approximately 95% of the frame vertically and horizontally. It also provides a dioptre correction of -3 to +1 dioptre, controlled by a small dial on the right side of the exit pupil, next to the rubber eyecup. The eyecup itself can be removed and a cap, supplied with the camera, can be used to prevent stray light from entering the camera during long exposures.

The viewfinder's focusing screen is etched with the circular zone used by the metering, and the three AF points, the active one lighting up briefly when it is selected. To the right, a display provides camera settings when the metering is active:

• AF frame and metering area,
• 3 AF areas,
• Aperture,
• Shutter speed,
• Focus indicator,
• Flash indicator,
• White balance setting,
• AEL (Auto Exposure Lock),
• Frame counter,
• Exposure compensation (if any),
• Metering mode,
• Battery state, and
• Exposure Mode (P, Ps, A, S, M only).

All the other controls of the E-410 are arranged on either side of its 2.5-inch (6.5 cm), 230,000-pixel monitor.

On the top right is the AEL-AFL button that serves to lock the metered exposure and focus when it is held pressed in. The button's function can be modified in the Setup Menu, however, so that it locks either the auto exposure or the auto focus, or the user can even change its assigned function according to the focus mode (AF-S, AF-C or Manual). When the E-410 is in playback mode, the button then serves to protect [] an image, preventing any accidental erasure.

The next button, , switches the camera to Live View mode.

When the Live View mode is active, the mirror goes up and the shutter curtain is opened so that the CCD is exposed and the image is transferred to the monitor. Focusing must then be done manually. Pressing the INFO button (see further), it is possible to display different levels of information along with the image, including a real-time histogram, or a composition grid. This function allows for more precise framing in some conditions (architecture or macro photography for example) as the monitor shows 100% of the image being framed.

Still on the right of the monitor, the Arrow Pad, a four-direction control composed of four distinct buttons, serves primarily to navigate the menus. At its centre, the OK button serves to confirm selections made in the menus, or when the camera is set to a capture mode and the Control Panel screen is displayed, modify settings shown there (for more information, see INFO button below).

Four more buttons are stacked on the left side of the monitor:

• The button labelled starts the Playback mode.
• The button marked serves to delete one image at a time when the E-410 is in Playback mode.
• The MENU button displays the menu system of the camera. (The various sections of the menu are described in the Characteristics and Interface and Software sections of the review.)
• The last button is labelledINFO and when the E-410 is set to a capture mode, displays a screen that details the current settings of the camera.

Pressing the INFO button cycles through three states:

• Basic: shows the date, the state of the Noise Reduction system, the settings for ISO, white balance, flash, picture mode, metering, focus area, focus mode, the active memory card, the image quality setting, and the estimated remaining number of shots that can be saved on the memory card.

• Detailed adds further information to what is provided in the Basic view: red and green saturation changes, RGB setting, contrast and sharpness settings, flash compensation, colour space, and image size in pixels.
• Off.

While when the E-410 is in playback mode, the INFO buttons serves to superimpose various levels of image data on the photo under review:

• None.
• Information 1: frame number, print reservation, protect status, image size, and the image's file name.
• Information 2: repeats the data of the Information 1 level, and adds the capture mode, the pixel size of the image, the compression setting, and the date and time.
• Shooting Information: divides the screen into 3 regions, showing the photo under review in the upper left corner with its histogram for all 4 components (brightness, red, blue and green) below, and placing all the shooting data in a column on the right side of the monitor.

• Histogram Display: shows the image full-screen, superimposing a histogram that shows the distribution of brightness in the image. The memory type and image quality settings are also indicated.
• Highlight Display: makes potentially overexposed areas of the image blink. The memory type and image quality settings are also indicated.
• Shadow Display: makes potentially underexposed areas of the image blink. The memory type and image quality settings are also indicated.

Ergonomically, the Olympus E-410 is excellent, and most SLR users should feel comfortable using the camera in a short time. Controls are well-spaced, making them easy to use precisely, even without looking.

Still, the viewfinder is bit small — particularly for those of us who have to wear glasses — requiring some practice in placing one's eye so as to get a clear view of the information it shows on the side.

Nevertheless, the E-410 offers the advantage of an SLR design, and augments it with the same Live View feature of the E-330, a useful feature for some types of photography, and one that is starting to appear on the cameras of other manufacturers.